China’s Post-Cheonan and -Yeonpyeong Policy toward North Korea

This article analyzes the development of China's policy toward the Korean Peninsula and gives recommendations. China has consistently emphasized peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula as a strategic security interest, and has attempted to introduce these through Six-Party Talks and stabilizing economic support. The author contends that China pursues a ‘status quo plus’ situation, with the regime still in place but not posing threats or provocations to neighbors. The current situation with a nuclear North Korea, however, is ‘status quo minus’. The author argues that China must recognize that containing the situation through ad hoc policies is not enough to return to ‘status quo plus’.